I Want to be a Writer

How do I break into the field of writing while working full time elsewhere? I’m a single mother and I already work a 40 hour week. Should I wait until my kids are grown?
The answer lies in the simple instruction hidden within the following silly saying: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”
It would be easier if your children were grown. I also know that a passion put on hold for too long can go underground and eventually we forget where we buried it.
Although it requires self-discipline, you could begin writing now. We all have extra time in every twenty-four hour period that we allow to slip through our fingers. Once you identify that period(s) – even if it’s only 30 minutes – you could launch the start of a new future.
For example:
• When the kids are doing their homework, what is Mom doing?
• Once the kids are off to bed and you collapse in a chair, could you do some research on the Internet or journal ideas that would eventually end up as an article or short story?
• Maybe the weekend is the best time for you. Sit the kids down and share your dream. Tell them that you need one hour on Saturday and one hour on Sunday of quiet, behind closed doors just for yourself. It doesn’t matter whether you write, research or take a much needed nap. It could actually set the stage for modeling healthy behavior in the future for your children.
• If you know the “style” of writing you are interested in, pick up books and magazines with that kind of content. That hour might be spent reading material similar to what you want to write. It will motivate you to start your own story.
• How do you spend your lunch hours?
Once you start – if you stay faithful to the plan – you will look forward to this special time each week.
The key is to take the first step – an action step – regardless of how small. It’s never too late and we should never be so busy that we squash a gift we have been given. Good luck!